It is well known to support logs with a plywood lathe chuck for cutting veneer from the logs from the outer diameter thereof in which the ends of the logs are supported by chucks attached to the rotary spindles of the lathe. One type of chuck is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,141,397. While such a chuck was generally satisfactory, the six wedge-shaped blades have a tendency to cause the ends of a wood log to split as the chucks are driven into the ends of the log thereby failing to securely grip the logs while cutting the veneer and also reducing the value of the resultant core.
The present invention is directed to a four-bladed chuck which, while having a sufficient driving area and strength, reduces the tendency of the chuck to split the ends of the log by utilizing thin blades, that displace less wood, and a bottom uprise which coacts with the blades to grip the ends of the logs, reduces the possibility of their extruding and splitting and also tends to hold a split log together.